Not a Jets fan and I don’t have a dog in this fight. But for all the crap that Rex gets, I don’t know of how many other coaches could have pulled out 8 wins from this roster.

They have probably one of the worst QB situations in the league and virtually no special “playmaker” talent on the offensive side of the ball. Some games they were completely blown out, but most of them they put up a fight and pulled out a W in a lot of them, including against the Pats and the Saints. I know he rubs people he wrong way a lot, but he’s done way more than most coaches with a lot less talent. And when looking for a coach, I’d want someone who can put up win totals above what the talent on the roster would suggest, and I think Rex does that very well. Guys would run through a brick wall for him.

I think you have to at this point. Let the guy build a playoff caliber team either the guy makes the playoffs like he did in the past with a good team or if he doesn’t get the job done a new coach will inherit a good team. But I’m confident Rex and Idzik will build a good team because watching Tannenbaum on NFL network today proved why he’s unemployed and why we were in a mess in the first place.

jakec4 says:Dec 30, 2013 7:42 PM

If you saw that video of Woody telling the players in the locker room that Rex will be back, you can tell that those guys would take a bullet for Rex. He’s obviously in full control with full respect. He did a really good job with a cast of characters that not many coaches could have gotten eight wins out of. He doesn’t draft the players or set the table.

Youtube, Super Bowl Guarantee x2, Buttfumble, and Tattoogate alone make the NFL a much more enjoyable sport with him playing a prominent role for a team that has yet to surpass the Houston Oilers in AFC East titles!

doctorrustbelt says:Dec 30, 2013 7:44 PM

The Jets have more offensive weapons than the Browns.

Jets O-Line = 6th ranked RUSH Offense in the NFL

doctorrustbelt says:Dec 30, 2013 7:45 PM

… but… I agree 8-8 is shocking with Geno Smith.

craniator says:Dec 30, 2013 7:47 PM

I’m a little weary of hearing how great a job he did with so little talent — let’s not forget that the Jets had one of the league’s easiest schedules and barely won several games (including Tampa Bay at home) in the final seconds , or on fluke plays. Did he do a decent job with what he had ? Yes. A superior job ? Not by a long shot.

Not particularly a Ryan fan, but I have to give credit where credit is due.

Virtually everyone preseason predicted the Jets to be one of the worst teams, if not the worst, in the league. This was based on a solid evaluation of their complete lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball.

Anyone who comes on here now and rolls their eyes at him keeping his job after going 8-8 is being ridiculous. No one, and I mean no one, was predicting 8 wins from this team in September.

Like I said, I’m not a fan, but facts are facts. This man has earned another year.

Steeler fan here. I have an awful lot of disdain for the Jets organization as a whole in the way they do business…(Santonio Holmes personifies everything that is wrong with the NFL these days) but I believe Rex Ryan is one heck of a coach. He was ferocious in his Baltimore days with that defense and has carried that over to the Jets. The players seem to be willing to take a bullet for the guy. And LOSER franchises are constantly firing the head coach as a scapegoat. Great head coaches don’t fall from trees everyday. Continuity is important to long term success. Learn from the great and successful franchises in the league. Keep a head coach the players love and respond to!! And the fact that he’s colorful is a huge bonus!!! Love hearing his blowhard opinions in this league that totally sucks otherwise!!!

A one year extension is lame duck status. It says we will keep you for next year, and set up a severance package if we fire you after next season.
The team then is safe if he and the Jets suck. No long big money deal to buy out.
They are also safe if the team does well. He can’t hold them up with the leverage of being able to walk away.

So actually if Ryan thinks he is the coach he thinks he is. Play out the contract. Make the playoffs and force the Jets hand to have to pay what it would take to keep him.

I really don’t see how a coach on a one year contract coaching players that have respect for him would suffer.

Geno Smith is not nearly as bad as many folks on PFT would like to make him out to be!!! Like plenty of rookies he was inconsistent, confused at times and flat out performed poorly. Other times he exhibited extreme poise in the pocket, ability to scramble out of troubleto extend plays and made nice touch passes. Meanwhile he was given little to nothing in terms of the passing game. His #1 receiver is who again??? I’ll wait…….. His solid #2 WR is who again??? I’ll wait….. Oh yeah he did have that solid(when not injured which was almost the entire season) #3 Slot receiver Santonio Holmes. For Christ’s sake the kid is a gamer and with more experience and with some much needed weapons can possibly be a solid QB in this league. With much less talent he won more games than Mike Glennon, Ponder/Cassel, Locker/Fitzpatrick, EJ Manuel, Bradford/Clemens. IJS he was far from perfect, but thats the way it normally is in the NFL. Except for last season when 3 rooks lit it up and the year before when CAM, OH CAM re-wrote the history books there have been far more rook QB’s performing like Geno and some far worse.

kev86 says:Dec 30, 2013 9:51 PM

GM laid it on a little thick in locker room with “he is our coach” and pointing football now that I think about it. Than Rex cries and one awkward hug led to another. Day later it’s “we give you another year or else”. Rex thought he was getting long term. Too funny. Jets are entertaining.

Geno looked like a different QB during the last 4 games of the season. He wasn’t great, more like solid. But he showed that he has the ability to progress. I think he has the tools to be a solid QB in the NFL if the Jets are willing to be patient with him.

Personally, I hate the Jets for a multitude of reasons and delight in their every misery. But credit where credit is due. Rex did more with the current roster than I thought possible.

kappy32 says:Dec 31, 2013 12:28 AM

Finally, for once I can say that the Jets made a smart move. As a matter of fact, they made two smart moves: (1) Bringing Rex Ryan back; and(2) Not extending him more than one year. I commented on the mid-week story last week where it was reported that Ryan would be back in 2014. I said then that Ryan should be back because of the job he did with a horrible roster this year, but that he should only be extended through 2015. You can’t expect him to be a lame duck in 2014; he wasn’t this year & he shouldn’t be next year. However, the extension shouldn’t go beyond 2015 because with some job stability, Rex would revert to the loudmouth, unabashed jackass he was after the 2 AFC CG appearances. I should add that those AFC CG appearances were with Mangini’s personnel & when Rex had a say in who the Jets signed, the team took a step back (I mean, c’mon, who wastes a 5th round draft pick on a fullback in today’s NFL?) Additionally, for all intents & purposes, the Jets only went 8-8. Former Jets Head Coach & NY Football Giants Great, Bill Parcels, stated that you are what your record says you are & the Jets were .500, an average team. I imagine that Idzig will add some weapons around Geno Smith this offseason (they have $40 million in cap space) and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Idzig try to trade with the Rams for the No. 2 pick in the draft to select either Teddy Bridgewater or Derek Carr (they have at least a 4th round conditional pick from the Bucs & a few compensatory picks this draft). The Jets needed to let Rex Ryan know that he is STILL on the hot seat & that 2014 will be about results, not effort. With the young defense they have & the good possibility to have a productive offense, 8-8 won’t do it. The Jets are primed, with the right moves, to overtake the Pats next year & make some noise in the AFC. Anything short of that should be considered a failure & should result in Rex losing his job. No more chest-pounding, no more bravado, it’s time to put some hardware next to that tarnished Super Bowl Trophy in Florham Park. As a side note, the Jets made themselves look like complete idiots by giving Rex an 8-8 “Gatorade Bath.” I mean, really guys? That’s a team HAPPY to achieve mediocrity.

I think the Jets did very well this year.
Here’s four reasons why, IMO:

1- They hired a Professional GM – Give John Idzik credit for bringing professionalism and adult supervision to the position.
2- They hired a new Offensive Coordinator. This move offsets the biggest weakness of the Head Coach, namely, that he is a defensive guy.
3- They had Geno Smith @ QB in place of Mark Sanchez.
4- The players 100% support of Rex Ryan. Show me any other team where the players would take a bullet for their coach. Detroit, Wash, Tampa, Minn, Cleveland? Nope.

Everyone expected the Jets to remain the laughingstock of the NFL, and win 4 games tops this year, but that didn’t happen. Sure, they got killed in a few games, and they were inconsistent throughout much of the season. But when you step back and look at it objectively, I think you have to agree that they did much better than have expected.

Going forward, the next steps towards improvement:

1- Jettison Mark Sanchez – He is a holdover from the previous dysfunctional regime and now that his salary cap hit is reduced, adios.
2- Continue to improve Geno Smith.
3- Draft some guys that can catch the football.

Geno Smith was inconsistent as a rookie – and that’s stating it mildly. But, unless your opening day rookie QB is named Montana, Roethlisberger, or Peyton Manning, that’s kind of expected.
However, he did show real improvement and maturity in the last few games. If that trend continues he will become a good NFL quarterback. I’d like to see how he does next year with some better receivers.

I’m optimistic about the Jets going forward.

weepingjebus says:Dec 31, 2013 9:23 AM

Uhhh, Rex and the Jets drafted Geno Smith on purpose. Applauding him for “going 8-8 with Geno Smith” is like applauding someone for shooting themselves in the foot and then finishing the marathon 5 hours after the leaders.